On the Beat: Power trio unites rock luminaries

A concert Saturday night at Panini's in Jackson Township will celebrate the release of the “BVD” album.

Dan Kane CantonRep.com entertainment editor @DKaneREP

Eric Brooke, a veteran rock 'n' roller and frequent host at area jam nights, recruited a couple of serious local music notables for a power trio named BVD.

A concert Saturday night at Panini's in Jackson Township will celebrate the release of the "BVD" album.

B = Brooke.

V = Joe Vitale, a percussionist who has recorded and toured since 1971 with the likes of Crosby, Stills and Nash, the Eagles, Joe Walsh, Buffalo Springfield and other top acts.

D = Don Dixon, a singer-songwriter with many solo albums and a famed record producer who has worked with R.E.M., the Smithereens, Marshall Crenshaw, Marti Jones (his wife) and numerous others.

BVD came together simply enough. "I made a call to Joe and he said, 'Let's do it,'" Brooke said. "Don said, 'Sure.' Next thing, we were recording."

The three gathered last May in a Canton garage that a friend of Brooke's had converted into a ceramics studio. Another of Brooke's friends, Trevor Meyer, brought the recording equipment and engineered the sessions.

"We set up, Joe and Don walked in, we shook hands, gave hugs and they said, 'OK, what have you got?" Brooke recalled.

On electric guitar, Brooke played them an idea, and Dixon on bass and Vitale on drums joined in. Inspiration was apparently fertile — BVD wrote and recorded three songs a day.

From 11 recorded songs, eight made it onto the album. Brooke sings seven and Dixon one.

"It's straight-forward rock with some different flavors involved," Brooke said of the album. "Some of it has a power-pop edge to it, some of it hard rock, some has a little funk to it."

The personalities of Brooke, Vitale and Dixon meshed easily. "We clicked as a group really well," Brooke said. "For me, this was a dream come true. These guys are legends of the industry and they're so nice.

"Don is funny. He said things I didn't expect him to say. And Joe has got so many great stories from the road," he said. "It was great to hear them together. They'd never had the opportunity to play together."

BVD, preceded by the Marc Andrew Project, will take the Panini's stage at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The set will include all eight songs from the new CD, which sells for $10, along with songs from BVD's individual members.

"We'll probably be throwing in 'Rocky Mountain Way,' " Brooke said of the Joe Walsh classic hit on which Vitale was drummer.

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